Light Acclimation

[jlehigh]

So the order has been made and the old equipment almost sold so I now have to do the best I can to acclimate my beloved tank life to more intense lighting.

I am "upgrading" from 4X250 watt MH (2 20K and 2 10K) to 2 400 watt 20K bulbs. Not because I need more light but because the spread of the DE is better enabling me to run only 2 and reduce power consumption by 200watts while also increasing the space I have above the tank. All other reasons follow as I was well pleased what I had..

I would assume I need to decrease my photo period, but I wanted to see what others having gone through a similar excercise did and how it turned out.

Most of the current inhabitants in the tank do not require ultra intense lighting such as Zoo's, mushrooms, RBTA, Xenia, Colt coral, Galaxia...

Maybe:
1st day: 3hr
2nd 3.5
3rd 4
4th 4.5
5th 5
6th 5.5
and so on until I reach 8-10hrs

 

[cronicreef]

IMO I would slow it down a bit. Something like adding a hour every week. Or taking a couple of sheets of glass and putting them on top of each othere. Every week take a sheet off until you have one left.

Also with MH I think that you want to adjust the distance from the water line to your lights along with adjusting your light time. But I don't have MH so I could be wrong

Just my 2 cents

 

[CarlaW]

I would try the same scheme,just increase the amount of days at 3hrs,4hrs, etc. maybe 2 days at each photoperiod. I myself do not have any experience with this, but maybe someone else can chime in here. HTH

 

[Katchupoy]

Maybe you dont even have to. If you will be able to check the par comparison of 20k's its almost half of the 10k's equivalent of the same watt... now we need to know is what the par value of 20k 400 watt...

I know that a 250 10k is around 650 to 700 and a 250 20k is around 300 something.... then maybe a 400 20k is half of 400 10k or equal to 250 10k.

I think i dont make sense... did you get it? hmmmmm need to rephrase that....

 

[CarlaW]

No Cesar, that makes sense to me, good idea :idea:

 

[mojoreef]

I would just do the screen method and not worry about the time periods.


Mike

 

[Sampson]

I believe that 400 20k is much more intense than 250 20K especially if you are not going to run any 10k. I would try to find a way to bring the color spectrum closer to 12k for the first week or two. listed below are a few options that you might want to consider:

1. The cheapest way I have seen is to take a yellow highlighter and color the bulbs. After a few days take a dry erase marker and erase a couple of stripes into the bulbs. Keep erasing for a week or two until the bulb is clear again. By this time the corals should be well acclimated

2. Buy some dry ice and drop it in the tank, this will cause a cloud like haze over your tank that will make the corals think that it is just a storm passing over.

3. Go to schucks and buy a couple of gallons of antifreeze, make sure to get the kind that is for cars made before 2000. This kind is a yellow and when it is added to your tank will change hue of the water. your skimmer should be able to clean the water in a couple of weeks but in the mean time it will let your corals acclimate.

This is just my two cents and I hope it helps you out.

Sampson

 

[NaH2O]

Sampson - Welcome to Reef Frontiers!!

 

[szidls]

Ok sampson,

I'll bite,
So the antifreez colors the water for cutting down light intensity. Does it also keep the tank from boiling over? Or maybe cut the need for a chillar:shock: LOL
Scott

 

[Sampson]

LOL
I hope know one takes me to serious, John is my boss at work and I am just trying to give him a hard time. I don't want anyone to hurt their tanks.

 

[jlehigh]

Thanks all for the feedback. I really don't want to buy cut and haul several sheets of glass If it can be avoided. I guess I could devise a method for attaching glass the size of the pendant too the pendant.

Cesar that is a very good point, I just haven't seen PAR measurments for the 400 DE's yet. I'll bet they are somewhere though.

lol Sampson that's almost as good as my urine filtration theory. I would really like the dry ice affect over the tank!!! Throw in a disco ball and LED spotlights and the fish could party

Thanks, All
John

 

[BCT182]

ummm..... I uh..... I mean I have a friend, and he was wondering if there is a anti-freeze remover I could, I mean he could use, to remove it, live phosphate remover.

 

[Curtswearing]

LOL
I hope know one takes me to serious, John is my boss at work and I am just trying to give him a hard time. I don't want anyone to hurt their tanks.

LOL. I was reading your post and thinking to myself, WHAT???

Welcome to Reef Frontiers!!!